What is Whistleblowing?
Whistleblowing is when somebody is involved with an organisation, and raises a concern about wrongdoing, risk, or malpractice in that organisation. A New Direction encourages everyone who works for or with us to raise any concerns that you have.
This page is a brief summary of our full Whistleblowing Policy and Procedure.
What complaints count as whistleblowing?
You can 'whistleblow' if you believe that A New Direction or one of its employees has, or is likely to, commit one of the following:
- a criminal offence;
- a miscarriage of justice;
- an act creating risk to health and safety;
- an act causing damage to the environment; a breach of any other legal obligation
- or that any of these acts are being concealed.
It isn't necessary for you to have proof for your concern - a reasonable belief is sufficient. Maliciously making a false allegation is a disciplinary offence.
How we respond to whistleblowing
We will investigate thoroughly and confidentially, and we will report the outcome of our investigation back to you.
We will take all appropriate disciplinary action with staff who are proved to have behaved improperly.
You will not be victimised, nor your future with A New Direction affected in any way, for raising a matter under this procedure.
How you can raise your concern
Some concerns can be quickly resolved informally in discussion with your programme leader, or other A New Direction staff.
If your concern isn't resolved, then you can follow a formal procedure :
- You should write to A New Direction's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (steve.moffitt@anewdirection.org.uk), who will arrange an investigation of the matter.
- The investigation may involve you and other individuals involved giving a written statement, and you will be asked to comment on any additional evidence obtained.
- The CEO will take any necessary action, including reporting the matter to the Chair of A New Direction's Board, and any appropriate government agency. The CEO will also take any disciplinary action required.
- Once the investigation is over, you will be told the outcome and what A New Direction has done, or proposes to do, about it. If no action is to be taken, we'll tell you why.
If, after this process, you think that the appropriate action has not been taken, you should report the matter to the relevant body – known as a 'Prescribed person' – and you can find the appropriate body: The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014.
